


Green

by acathexis



Category: Skip Beat!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-20
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-13 21:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/142069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acathexis/pseuds/acathexis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsuruga Ren has a new girlfriend.  Kyoko is completely fine with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Green

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rekall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rekall/gifts).



> This happens an indeterminate amount of time after Dark Moon is completed, but doesn't refer to much of anything in the between time. (Just in case you care about the timeline.)

“What? Tsuruga Ren has a girlfriend?”

The dismayed cry broke though Kyoko’s concentration just in time for her to see the cause of her co-actor’s distress as she looked up; it was one of those tabloid shows, she vaguely recognized the two women chattering excitedly at each other, but what really caught her attention was the clip they had playing of Ren and a tiny blonde woman walking arm-in-arm out of the LME building.

A tiny, exquisitely beautiful blonde. She was wrapped around Ren’s arm and gazing up at his face, laughing. As Kyoko watched, she reached up to tap her fingers against his cheek, saying something the cameras hadn’t caught with a mischievous smile. Ren smiled down at her for a moment, before gently taking her hand and helping her into the car waiting at the curb.

“That’s right, we’ve finally caught him!” the lively talk show hostess was saying. “We’ve suspected that he had a special someone for quite some time, now, but he’s been very good about keeping to himself, so there was still hope.” She sighed, a sound echoed by Kyoko’s distraught co-star.

Kyoko blinked, shaking her head as a strange feeling shot through her.

So what was the big deal, anyway? Tsuruga-san must surely have had girlfriends before -- he was certainly old enough, and popular enough that he would have no trouble attracting female attention.

“Except … well, there was that conversation,” she said suddenly, remembering Bou and Ren backstage, when they had still been filming Dark Moon. Tsuruga-san had told her that he had never been in love before, and had no idea what love was supposed to feel like. She had been forced to dredge up awful memories, that time, to talk him through recognizing even the barest seeds of the emotion, and even so he had ended up saying that he couldn’t let himself nurture the tentative love he felt in his heart.

Could this be the girl he had been speaking of? Kyoko frowned at the strange, darting pain she felt in her chest, identical to the one she had felt when first seeing the two together.

“It must be worry,” she decided, nodding to herself. After all, if this was the girl that Tsuruga-san had been referring to, then she was still in high school. If they had been found out, it had the potential to be a terrible scandal. That must be it.

Oh, no. Even worse, Tsuruga-san was a famous star. He was an idol, one who belonged to his fans -- what if this news getting out was bad for his career?

Yashiro-san would know.

A moment later, she had her phone out, script entirely forgotten.

“Yashiro-san?” she queried hesitantly. He had sounded slightly frazzled when he answered the phone.

“Kyoko-chan!” he replied, his voice growing warmer with recognition. There was a pause, and the background noise sharply decreased. “It has been a while. How are you?”

“Ah,” she replied, bowing slightly (even though it was a phone call), “I am quite well, thank you.” She paused. How did one go about bringing something like this up?

“So,” he continued after a few moments’ silence, “was there something I could help you with?”

“Well,” she started hesitantly, “I just heard something that made me a little -- well, curious I suppose, so I thought I might call and ask you about it, if you have the time.”

“Yes?” Yashiro prompted after several moments of silence. Kyoko took a deep breath.

“Is it true that Tsuruga-san has a girlfriend?” she asked all in a rush. She felt a flush of heat wash across her cheeks, but she was sure it was merely at the sheer impudence of her question.

There was silence for a minute from Yashiro’s end of the line, and Kyoko began to shrink, thinking she’d overstepped her bounds.

“Ah,” he said finally, his voice still calm, but trembling slightly with some suppressed emotion. “I assume you are referring to Miss Lissette?”

“I am not certain of her name,” she admitted in a small voice, hoping that the hidden emotion was not irritation. “My coworkers were watching a tabloid show, and it came up there. So it is true?”

“Well,” Yashiro hedged, “I am afraid that I am not at liberty to discuss the situation. I’m sure you understand,” he added, and Kyoko did. He was Tsuruga-san’s manager, after all. “However, since it’s you, Kyoko-chan, I can say that … well, they have been quite _close_ lately. Is that a _problem_ for you?” he queried liltingly, with a strange, insinuating emphasis on his words.

Kyoko wondered about that emphasis, but distantly, through the sudden wash of grey that colored her thoughts. “No, of course not,” she replied automatically, already focusing on the strange feeling that had overtaken her. “Thank you very much, Yashiro-san. I apologize for disrupting your day over something so trivial.” She bowed again.

“It’s no problem whatsoever,” Yashiro replied, sounding oddly disappointed. “Take care, Kyoko-chan.”

“And you as well,” Kyoko said, then disconnected the call.

She couldn’t figure out why she suddenly felt so down.

“This makes no sense,” she said severely to herself. “It’s almost like I’m unhappy that Tsuruga-san is seeing someone. But that’s ridiculous.” She nodded firmly to underscore that point, frowning for a moment longer before a spark lit in her mind. “Unless … of course, how silly. It’s because I’m concerned over the possible harm to his career, that’s all -- after all, Tsuruga-san is well respected, but the smallest scandal can tear a person down from the highest pedestal. It’s completely reasonable to be worried about how this might affect him.”

She nodded, pleased that she had arrived at the proper conclusion.

“Kyoko-san, the director is ready for you,” a technician called from the door to the break room.

“Oh, I’ll be right there,” Kyoko replied, standing and gathering her script. She had completely forgotten to read over her part in between scenes as she had intended to, but … well, she was sure she would manage somehow.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Later that day, Kyoko stalked into the lobby at LME muttering darkly to herself.

The people crowding the lobby unconsciously backed away from the slowly swirling dark aura that surrounded her, but she barely noticed, heading automatically to the changing room in the back.

She wasn't _upset_ , not really. Just thinking.

Thinking so hard that she almost ran into Ren before she noticed him standing in her path.

“Ah!” she cried out, startled out of her fugue. “Tsuruga-san, I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice you standing there.”

Ren looked down at her, smiling slightly. “Good evening, Mogami-san,” he said lightly, with a slight emphasis that sounded almost chiding to Kyoko’s ears. She flushed.

“Ah, good evening, Tsuruga-san,” she replied, bowing properly.

“Are you quite well?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. “I believe I mentioned to you before, about walking in public with such a thunderous expression. There must be something truly wrong for your expression to be so dark.”

Kyoko bit her lip, but the scolding was entirely proper, so she had no way to contest his words. “It’s a role,” she admitted in a small voice. “I’m having some trouble connecting to it, and it’s bothering me.” She peered up at him to see if her excuse passed judgment.

“I see,” he replied. “And what is the problem?” He looked to the left, so Kyoko did as well; there was nothing there.

“I -- It seems that I don’t understand jealousy,” Kyoko replied with a small frown. “I don’t quite understand what the director meant, but that’s what he said.” She sighed.

Ren looked almost helplessly amused. “Well of course you don’t,” he said softly, almost to himself. “Jealousy requires possessiveness, after all.” His gaze momentarily drifted behind her, making her wonder what he was looking for. He was normally quite focused when they spoke.

Kyoko blinked. “What do you mean?” she asked, confused, then startled by the abrupt change that came over his expression. It was almost a flinch, though that was a laughable idea.

“Thank you so much for waiting, darling!” an unfamiliar voice called, just before a strange woman appeared from behind Kyoko’s left shoulder and latched onto Ren’s arm. She smiled up at him adoringly. “It was terrible of me to take so long, I know. Can you forgive me?”

She was even more delicately beautiful in person, Kyoko realized distantly. She was briefly overwhelmed by the strength of the pang that went through her, and almost didn’t notice as her inner demons awakened, reaching out to wrap the other woman in icy malice. Kyoko held back, confused. She didn’t even _know_ her.

“But of course,” Ren replied immediately, his smile sparkling down at her.

Wait, sparkling? Kyoko blinked, looking past her inner daze to see the tightness around Tsuruga-san’s eyes, the fixedness of his smile, the _sparkles_.

“Tsuruga-san?” Kyoko was hit by a sudden rush of energy, everything around her sharpening as her voice smoothed into something cool, crisp and utterly unlike her. “I’m so sorry to interrupt you, but the President sent me to retrieve you. It appears that he needs to speak with you immediately.” She managed to sound apologetic yet utterly firm at the same time.

Ren blinked down at her, brief puzzlement instantly, expertly covered by a businesslike smile. “Ah, of course, Mogami-san. I’ll come now.” He turned to the lady on his arm, smiling down apologetically. “Miss Lissette, I’m afraid I must go for the moment. If you would wait for me in the café, I’m sure I won’t be too long.”

Lissette pouted prettily, but gave in when his smile didn’t budge. “Very well,” she acceded, “But do hurry back … And miss me!” she called over her shoulder as she headed to the door.

Kyoko headed off towards the bank of elevators at the back, with Ren keeping pace obediently; they stopped abruptly once out of sight of the door.

What had she _done_?

“Mogami-san?” Ren said, his voice calm and unreadable. Kyoko couldn’t look at him. “Would you mind letting me know what this is about?”

How could she answer when she had no idea at all?

“I’m so sorry, Tsuruga-san,” she replied, panic creeping up on her. “I don’t know what I was thinking, it’s just … your expression was _wrong_ somehow, and before I knew it, I thought I had to get you out of there … I know it doesn’t make sense, I’m sorry --”

“Mogami-san,” Ren said again, firmly, and she reluctantly looked up at his face. “It’s quite all right, I understand. And you were right,” he added with a rueful smile. “I'm escorting her as a favor to the President, but … well, Miss Lissette is sweet, but she can be inappropriately clingy. I am quite relieved to have an excuse to be away from her for a while.”

Kyoko was nearly floored by the rush of relief that washed through her. It was inexplicable, and utterly irrational.

“That’s … good,” she replied faintly, most of her mind caught up in her horror at her sudden realization.

She had a sinking suspicion that she now understood how jealousy felt.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any disjointedness in the story. I really liked your prompt, and did my best to write it, but the story got too big for me to finish in the time I had, so I had to pare it down into something workable. If I mangled it, I'm truly sorry!


End file.
